With Everything I Am (The Three #2)(136)

Callum heard Lucien pull in a breath.

Leah just stared at him blankly so Callum explained, “Heightened hearing, sight and smell. She can also sense danger and, unfortunately, has had the opportunity to do so. But for Sonia, it’s more. As it’s nearly wolf, she has instincts. She can sense menace but she can also sense anything even if a presence is close but not a threat.”

“Fucking excellent,” Lucien murmured for tactically it would be should The Prophesies unfold.

“I’m not done.” The thread of pride veined his voice when Callum continued by telling them what he’d learned on the several hikes he’d taken with his queen. “Sonia has an affinity with wildlife. She thinks it’s just animals but its more. She’s at her most comfortable in natural surroundings. The animals sense her but find her no threat. Some even move to get closer to her. I reckon, if she developed this, she could call them to her, maybe even communicate with them.”

“How cool,” Leah breathed.

“Again, lupine,” Lucien remarked thoughtfully.

“Not exactly,” Callum replied. “We call to canis, wolves, jackals, dogs. Any other creature would sense us as predator. Sonia is not sensed as predator. She’s sensed as one with any species be they wolf or bird or bear.”

“How cool!” Leah exclaimed and Lucien smiled, likely to Leah’s exuberance but also to this fortunate news. Leah turned to her mate and said excitedly, “I hope I get something like that.”

“You have it, sweetheart,” Lucien replied and in doing so, revealed.

“That would be?” Callum cut into their short conversation and Lucien’s eyes came to him.

Forthright, he informed Callum, “She can mark me, communicate with me nonverbally and fight mesmerization for brief periods of time.”

Callum didn’t bother to hide his surprise. He whistled low.

If vampires had kings, Lucien would be theirs. He was more than an epic warrior, stronger than the lot. He had added abilities, some of which other vampires had, none of which they had with the strength and control Lucien did. He could read and control minds. He could also mark humans or immortals which meant he could manipulate their heart rates and anticipate their actions.

If Leah even had a hint of these abilities, including fighting mesmerization, if developed, they could be powerful.

This was all f**king excellent news.

“It seems the fates have provided weapons for the vulnerable,” Callum noted softly, realizing finally and with a sense of relief, why his Sonia was gifted.

“Indeed,” Lucien replied just as softly.

“We girlie girls might be able to help you big strong boys kick ass,” Leah declared proudly and both Lucien and Callum grinned at her.

And after Lucien grinned at her, he turned her face to his for a brief kiss which left Leah with that fond, intimate look when he was done.

Then he looked back to Callum. “I wanted to speak of this without Sonia because Gregor suggested you hadn’t told her about immortals and you didn’t know about The Prophesies.”

“This first is true,” Callum disclosed.

“She thinks you’re human?” Leah breathed in horror and Callum looked at her.

“No.”

Leah let out a sigh of relief and said, “She knows you’re a werewolf.”

“No,” Callum repeated, this time curtly.

Leah’s brows drew together and she looked toward the door before she turned back to Callum and asked, “How long have you been together?”

“Six weeks.”

Leah’s eyes got wide and she mumbled, “Uh-oh.”

Bloody hell.

There it was, just as he suspected. A female human’s reaction indicating his protection would be considered a deceit.

“She’s not like you, Leah. She’s not grown up knowing her place in his culture,” Lucien told his bride. “If I was in his position and I understood what was at stake with my mate, I would do the exact same thing.”

Callum felt slightly better.

“Then you’d be in serious trouble too,” Leah stated firmly.

Callum stifled a growl.

Lucien looked at Callum and said with the experience of an immortal male who lived with a female human, “It’ll be fine, Callum.”

Leah looked at Callum and said with the experience that simply was female human, “It will be but only after she makes you put your tail between your legs erm… no offense intended.”

“Perhaps we can stop talking about this,” Callum suggested in a way that stated clearly the wording was a courtesy, the words were a command.

Leah bit her lip.

Lucien’s mouth twitched.

Callum stifled another growl.

“Your housekeeper’s coming,” Lucien finally noted and Callum would have kissed Mara for her timing if he didn’t know Drogan would challenge him for doing so.

“Coffee!” Leah declared delightedly. Lucien chuckled and Callum smelled that Callista had, as usual, made him a gracious host because there was far more than coffee heading their way.

Mara arrived with a tray of coffee, platters of homemade cakes and biscuits and admonishments of, “Callista is preparing a huge spread for lunch, don’t fill up.”

Sonia arrived while Leah was pouring her second cup and it was clear to see why her appearance was delayed.